Rudolph I of Germany
Encyclopedia
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
feudal dynasties. Originally a Swabian
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
count, he was the first Habsburg to acquire the duchies of Austria and Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
, territories that would remain under Habsburg rule for more than 600 years and would form the core of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and the present-day country of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Early life
Rudolph was the son of Count Albert IV of HabsburgAlbert IV, Count of Habsburg
Albert IV was Count of Habsburg in the Aargau and a progenitor of the royal House of Habsburg....
and Hedwig, daughter of Count Ulrich of Kyburg
House of Kyburg
The House of Kyburg was family of Grafen or counts from Zürich in Switzerland. The family was one of the three most powerful noble families in the Swiss plateau beside the Habsburg and the House of Savoy during the 11th and 12th Centuries...
, and was born at Limburg Castle near Sasbach am Kaiserstuhl
Sasbach am Kaiserstuhl
Sasbach is a town in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Sasbach is adjacent to the River Rhine and the Kaiserstuhl mountain. It is the location of two medieval castle ruins, Limburg and Sponeck....
in the Breisgau
Breisgau
Breisgau is the name of an area in southwest Germany, placed between the river Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest around Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which partly consists of the Breisgau, is named after that area...
region. At his father's death in 1239, he inherited large estates from his father around the ancestral seat of Habsburg Castle
Habsburg castle
Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habsburg Castle is the originating seat of the House of Habsburg, which became one of the leading...
in the Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
region of present-day Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
as well as in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
. In 1245 Rudolph married Gertrude, daughter of Count Burkhard III of Hohenberg
Counts of Hohenberg (Swabia)
The Counts of Hohenberg were an ancient swabian dynasty in the southwest of the present-day Germany, in the State of Baden-Württemberg. In the 13th century the dynasty of Hohenberg was one of the most prominent lineages in Southwestern Germany. In 1381 however, Rudolf III...
. As a result, he became an important vassal in Swabia, the former Alemannic
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
German stem duchy
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
.
Rudolph paid frequent visits to the court of his godfather, the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, and his loyalty to Frederick and his son, King Conrad IV of Germany
Conrad IV of Germany
Conrad IV was king of Jerusalem , of Germany , and of Sicily .-Biography:...
, was richly rewarded by grants of land. In 1254, he was excommunicated by Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
as a supporter of King Conrad, due to ongoing political conflicts between the Emperor, who held the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
and wanted to reestablish his power in the Imperial Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (medieval)
The Kingdom of Italy was a political entity under control of Carolingian dynasty of Francia first, after the defeat of the Lombards in 774. It was finally incorporated as a part of the Holy Roman Empire in 962....
, especially in the Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
region, and the Papacy, whose States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
lay in between and feared being overpowered by the Emperor.
Rise to power
The disorder in Germany during the interregnumInterregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
after the fall of the Hohenstaufen dynasty afforded an opportunity for Count Rudolph to increase his possessions. His wife was a Hohenberg heiress; and on the death of his childless maternal uncle, Count Hartmann IV of Kyburg
House of Kyburg
The House of Kyburg was family of Grafen or counts from Zürich in Switzerland. The family was one of the three most powerful noble families in the Swiss plateau beside the Habsburg and the House of Savoy during the 11th and 12th Centuries...
in 1264, he also seized his valuable estates. Successful feuds with the Bishops of Strasbourg and Basel
Bishopric of Basel
The Diocese of Basel is a Roman Catholic diocese in Switzerland .Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel ....
further augmented his wealth and reputation, including rights over various tracts of land that he purchased from abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s and others.
These various sources of wealth and influence rendered Rudolph the most powerful prince and noble in southwestern Germany (where the tribal Duchy of Swabia had disintegrated, leaving room for its vassals to become quite independent) when, in the autumn of 1273, the prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s met to choose a king after Richard of Cornwall
Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Richard of Cornwall was Count of Poitou , 1st Earl of Cornwall and German King...
had died in England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
the year before. Rudolph's election in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
on 29 September, when he was 55 years old, was largely due to the efforts of his brother-in-law, the Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
burgrave Frederick III of Nuremberg
Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
Frederick III of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from the House of Hohenzollern, was the eldest son of Conrad I of Nuremberg and Adelheid of Frontenhausen.-Life:...
. The support of Duke Albert II of Saxony
Albert II, Duke of Saxony
Albert II of Saxony was a son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child. He supported Rudolph I of Germany at his election as Roman king and became his son-in-law...
and Elector Palatine Louis II
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
had been purchased by betrothing them to two of Rudolph's daughters.
As a result, within the electoral college, King Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
(1230–1278), himself a candidate for the throne and related to the late Hohenstaufen king Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
(being the son of the eldest surviving daughter), was almost alone in opposing Rudolph. Other candidates were Prince Siegfried I of Anhalt
Siegfried I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Siegfried I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
and Margrave Frederick I of Meissen
Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen
Frederick I, called the Brave or the Bitten was margrave of Meissen and landgrave of Thuringia.-Life:...
(1257–1323), a young grandson of the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II, who however did not yet even have a principality of his own as his father still lived. With the consent of the other electors, Ottokar's dissent was neglected, and by the admission of Duke Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria
Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
Henry XIII of Bavaria, member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Duke of Lower Bavaria. As Duke of Lower Bavaria he is also called Henry I.- Family :...
, Rudolph gained all seven votes.
King of Germany
Rudolph was crowned in Aachen CathedralAachen Cathedral
Aachen Cathedral, frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" , is a Roman Catholic church in Aachen, Germany. The church is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe and was known as the "Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen" during the Middle Ages...
on 24 October 1273. To win the approbation of the Pope, Rudolph renounced all imperial rights in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the papal territory, and Sicily, and promised to lead a new crusade. Pope Gregory X
Pope Gregory X
Pope Blessed Gregory X , born Tebaldo Visconti, was Pope from 1271 to 1276. He was elected by the papal election, 1268–1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church....
, in spite of Otakar's protests, not only recognized Rudolph himself, but persuaded King Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
(another grandson of Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
), who had been chosen German (anti-)king in 1257 as the successor to Count William II of Holland, to do the same. Thus, Rudolph surpassed the two heirs of the Hohenstaufen dynasty that he had earlier served so loyally.
In November 1274 it was decided by the Imperial Diet
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
at Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
that all crown estates seized since the death of the Emperor Frederick II must be restored, and that King Ottokar II must answer to the Diet for not recognizing the new king. Ottokar refused to appear or to restore the duchies of Austria, Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
and Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
with the March of Carniola
March of Carniola
The March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
, which he had claimed through his first wife, a Babenberg heiress, and which he had seized while disputing them with another Babenberg heir, Margrave Hermann VI of Baden. Rudolph refuted Ottokar's succession to the Babenberg patrimony, declaring that the provinces reverted to the Imperial crown due to the lack of male-line heirs (a position that however conflicted with the provisions of the Austrian Privilegium Minus
Privilegium Minus
The Privilegium Minus is a document issued by Emperor Frederick I on September 17, 1156. It included the elevation of the Margraviate of Austria to a Duchy, which was given as an inheritable fief to the House of Babenberg. Its recipient was Frederick's paternal uncle Margrave Henry II Jasomirgott...
). King Ottokar was placed under the imperial ban; and in June 1276 war was declared against him.
Having persuaded Ottokar's former ally Duke Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria to switch sides, Rudolph compelled the Bohemian king to cede the four provinces to the control of the royal administration in November 1276. Rudolf then re-invested Ottokar with the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
, betrothed one of his daughters to Ottokar's son Wenceslaus II, and made a triumphal entry into Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Ottokar, however, raised questions about the execution of the treaty, made an alliance with some Piast
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
chiefs of Poland
Poland during the Piast dynasty
History of Poland during the Piast dynasty is the first major stage in the history of Poland from the 10th to the 14th century when Poland was established as a state and a nation during the medieval period of European history. The history of the Polish state begins with the founding of the Piast...
, and procured the support of several German princes, again including Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria. To meet this coalition, Rudolph formed an alliance with King Ladislaus IV of Hungary and gave additional privileges to the Vienna citizens. On 26 August 1278, the rival armies met at the Battle on the Marchfeld, where Ottokar was defeated and killed. The March of Moravia
March of Moravia
The March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
was subdued and its government entrusted to Rudolph's representatives, leaving Ottokar's widow Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda Rostislavna was Queen consort of Bohemia and its Regent from 1278 until her death. She was a member of the House of Chernigov, and a daughter of the ruler of Slavonia....
, in control of only the province surrounding Prague, while the young Wenceslaus II was again betrothed to Rudolph's youngest daughter Judith
Judith of Habsburg
Judith of Habsburg was the youngest daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his wife Gertrude of Hohenburg. Judith was a member of the Habsburg family.-Biography:When Judith was five, she became the object of her father's political plans...
.
Rudolph's attention next turned to the possessions in Austria and the adjacent provinces, which were taken into the royal domain. He spent several years establishing his authority there but found some difficulty in establishing his family as successors to the rule of those provinces. At length the hostility of the princes was overcome. In December 1282, in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Rudolph invested his sons, Albert
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
and Rudolph II, with the duchies of Austria and Styria and so laid the foundation of the House of Habsburg. Additionally, he made the twelve-year-old Rudolph Duke of Swabia, a merely titular dignity, as the duchy had been without an actual ruler since Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
's execution. The 27-year-old Duke Albert (married since 1274 to a daughter of Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia
Meinhard II from the House of Meinhardin was ruling Count of Gorizia from 1258 until 1271 and Count of Tyrol from 1258 until his death...
(1238–95)) was capable enough to hold some sway in the new patrimony.
In 1286 King Rudolf fully invested the Duchy of Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
, one of the provinces conquered from Ottokar, to Albert's father-in-law Count Meinhard. The Princes of the Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
did not allow Rudolf to give everything that was recovered to the royal domain to his own sons, and his allies needed their rewards too. Turning to the west, in 1281 he compelled Count Philip I of Savoy to cede some territory to him, then forced the citizens of Bern to pay the tribute that they had been refusing, and in 1289 marched against Count Philip's successor, Otto IV, compelling him to do homage.
In 1281 his first wife died. On 5 February 1284, he married Isabella
Isabelle of Burgundy
Isabella of Burgundy , Lady of Vieux-Château, was the second and last Queen consort of Rudolph I of Germany.- Family :She was the second daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and his second wife Beatrice of Champagne....
, daughter of Duke Hugh IV of Burgundy
Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh IV of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1218 and 1271. Hugh was the only son of duke Odo III and Alice of Vergy...
, the Empire's western neighbor in the Kingdom of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
.
Rudolph was not very successful in restoring internal peace. Orders were indeed issued for the establishment of landpeaces in Bavaria
History of Bavaria
The history of Bavaria stretches from its earliest settlement and its formation as a stem duchy in the 6th century through its inclusion in the Holy Roman Empires to its status as an independent kingdom and, finally, as a large and significant Bundesland of the modern Federal Republic of...
, Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
and Swabia, and afterwards for the whole Empire. But the king lacked the power, resources, or determination, to enforce them, although in December 1289 he led an expedition into Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
where he destroyed a number of robber-castles
Robber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
.
In 1291, he attempted to secure the election of his son Albert as German king. However, the electors refused claiming inability to support two kings, but in reality, perhaps, leery of the increasing power of the House of Habsburg. Upon Rudolph's death they elected Count Adolf of Nassau.
Death
Rudolph died in SpeyerSpeyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
on 15 July 1291, and was buried in the Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral
The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St...
. Although he had a large family, he was survived by only one son, Albert, afterwards the German king Albert I
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
. Most of his daughters outlived him, apart from Katharina
Katharine of Habsburg
Katharine of Habsburg was the daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.- Life :She was born in Rheinfelden and was the fifth of nine children....
who had died in 1282 during childbirth and Hedwig who had died in 1285/6.
Rudolph's reign is most memorable for his establishment of the House of Habsburg as a powerful dynasty in the southeastern parts of the realm. In the other territories, the centuries-long decline of the Imperial authority since the days of the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
continued, and the princes were largely left to their own devices.
In the Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
finds Rudolph sitting outside the gates of Purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
with his contemporaries, and berates him as "he who neglected that which he ought to have done".
Family and children
He was married twice. First, in 1245, to Gertrude of Hohenberg and second, in 1284, to Isabelle of BurgundyIsabelle of Burgundy
Isabella of Burgundy , Lady of Vieux-Château, was the second and last Queen consort of Rudolph I of Germany.- Family :She was the second daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy and his second wife Beatrice of Champagne....
, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh IV of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1218 and 1271. Hugh was the only son of duke Odo III and Alice of Vergy...
and Beatrice of Champagne. All children were from the first marriage.
- MatildaMatilda of HabsburgMatilda of Habsburg or Melchilde was the eldest daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and Gertrude of Hohenburg...
(ca. 1251/53, Rheinfelden–23 December 1304, MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
), married 1273 in AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
to Louis II, Duke of BavariaLouis II, Duke of BavariaDuke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
and became mother of Rudolf I, Count Palatine of the RhineRudolf I, Duke of BavariaRudolf I of Bavaria , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine...
and Louis IV, Holy Roman EmperorLouis IV, Holy Roman EmperorLouis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
. - Albert I of GermanyAlbert I of GermanyAlbert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
(July 1255 – 1 May 1308), Duke of Austria and also of Styria. - KatharinaKatharine of HabsburgKatharine of Habsburg was the daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.- Life :She was born in Rheinfelden and was the fifth of nine children....
(1256–4 April 1282, LandshutLandshutLandshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
), married 1279 in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to Otto III, Duke of BavariaOtto III, Duke of BavariaOtto III of Bavaria , member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Lower Bavaria from 1290 to 1312 and disputably King of Hungary and Croatia between 1305 and 1307 as Béla V.-Family:...
who later (after her death) became the disputed King Bela V of HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and left no surviving issue. - AgnesAgnes of HabsburgAgnes of Habsburg was a daughter of Emperor Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife Countess Gertrude of Hohenberg. She was a member of the House of Habsburg.- Marriage :In 1273 she was married to Elector Albert II of Saxony...
(ca. 1257–11 October 1322, WittenbergWittenbergWittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
), married 1273 to Albert II, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg and became the mother of Rudolf I, Elector of Saxony. - HedwigHedwig of HabsburgHedwig of Habsburg was a daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife, Gertrude of Hohenburg. Hedwig was a member of the House of Habsburg...
(d. 1285/86), married 1270 in Vienna to Otto VI, Margrave of Brandenburg and left no issue. - ClementiaKlementia of HabsburgClementia of Habsburg was a daughter of Rudolf I of Habsburg and Gertrude of Hohenberg. She was a member of the House of Habsburg.-Family:...
(ca. 1262–after 7 February 1293), married 1281 in Vienna to Charles Martel of AnjouCharles Martel of AnjouCharles Martel of the Angevin dynasty, also known as Charles I Martel, was the eldest son of king Charles II of Naples and Maria of Hungary, the daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary....
, the Papal claimant to the throne of HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and mother of king Charles I of HungaryCharles I of HungaryCharles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
, as well as of queen Clementia of France, herself the mother of the baby king John I of FranceJohn I of FranceJohn I , called the Posthumous, was King of France and Navarre, and Count of Champagne, as the son and successor of Louis the Headstrong, for the five days he lived...
. - Hartmann (1263, RheinfeldenRheinfeldenRheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
–21 December 1281), drowned in RheinauRheinauRheinau may refer to:*Rheinau, Switzerland, a town in the canton of Zürich*Rheinau Abbey, in Rheinau, Switzerland*Rheinau , a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany*a part of Mannheim, Germany...
. - Rudolph II, Duke of Austria and Styria (1270–10 May 1290, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), titular Duke of SwabiaDuke of SwabiaThe following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
, father of John the Patricide of AustriaJohn ParricidaJohn Parricida, or John the Parricide or Johann Parricida , also called John of Swabia from the House of Habsburg was a son of Rudolf II, former Duke of Austria and Agnes, daughter of King Ottokar II Přemysl of Bohemia...
. - GutaJudith of HabsburgJudith of Habsburg was the youngest daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his wife Gertrude of Hohenburg. Judith was a member of the Habsburg family.-Biography:When Judith was five, she became the object of her father's political plans...
(Jutte/Bona) (13 March 1271–18 June 1297, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), married 24 January 1285 to King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and became the mother of king Wenceslaus III of BohemiaWenceslaus III of BohemiaWenceslaus III Premyslid was the King of Hungary , King of Bohemia and the king of Poland ....
, Poland and Hungary, of queen Anne of Bohemia (1290–1313), duchess of Carinthia, and of queen Elisabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330), countess of Luxembourg. - Charles (1276 – 1276)
Rudolph I's last agnatic descendant was Empress Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
(d. 1780).
Ancestry
See also
- Kings of Germany family tree. He was related to every other king of Germany.
- HabsburgHabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...